


Jolene: The Aftermath

by amati913



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24182140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amati913/pseuds/amati913
Summary: A one-shot based on the events of 3x05 ‘Jolene’: Nicole and Waverly comfort each other after Jolene is killed. Rated T for cursing and brief discussions of some heavy topics.
Relationships: Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 3
Kudos: 79





	Jolene: The Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this was supposed to be a short one-shot that takes place in-between the death of Jolene and the following scene with Waverly and Nicole catching up and being the cutest couple on earth. Instead, this turned into the gap scene, the actual scene that happened, and a little extra after the scene we saw because I simple can’t help myself. There’ll be some Nicole comforting Waverly and some Waverly comforting Nicole because honestly, this episode was an emotional rollercoaster for them both. 
> 
> This is the first time I’m writing something (creatively) in a very long time, and the first time I’m writing for this fandom, so I hope you enjoy!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: A small portion of this fanfic (marked by **) includes dialogue taken directly from the episode. I don’t claim to own this dialogue or the characters of the show (although I love them so).

“Waverly!!” Nicole’s panicked voice rang through the house as she hastily stumbled down the stairs. Her lungs burned and her head ached, but nothing compared to the fear gripping her heart at the thought of her girlfriend in trouble. 

“The barn! They were going to the barn!” Doc directed, following closely behind her.

Nicole burst through the front door, searching the land with a frustrated huff as her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. “Shit, how long was I out? Waverly?!” She called again frantically. 

“Nicole!” Hearing Waverly’s shout coming from the back of the barn, Nicole took off at a sprint again. An immense feeling of relief came over her when she finally rounded the corner and laid eyes on Waverly, nestled safely between her sister and her mother. Waverly stepped forward tentatively and Nicole quickly closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around the small brunette protectively. “Oh, thank God. Jolene is the demon!”

“We know, Haught-stuff. She’s gone, it’s over.” Wynonna stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on Waverly’s shoulder. Wynonna shared a knowing look with Nicole and turned to her mother. “Come on, mama. These two are about to make me vomit with their cute-ness and I know you need a stiff drink as badly as I do.” The two Earp women tiredly made their way back to the house, Doc following them. 

“Are you alright? Did she hurt you?” Nicole pulled away from the hug momentarily to scan Waverly’s body for injuries.

“I – no, I’m not hurt.” Waverly responded, but there was something in her eyes and the way that she trembled under Nicole’s hands that told a different story. “How about you? Are you hurt? How did you know that Jolene was the demon?”

Nicole sighed lightly. “I was waiting in your room to apologize for treating you so horribly before and she attacked me. I’m okay though.” Waverly shivered again and Nicole frowned. “Let’s go inside and warm up, yeah?” Waverly nodded, tucking into Nicole’s left side and smiling when Nicole’s arm wraps lovingly around her shoulder as they quietly return to the house. With an unspoken agreement, they both bypassed the kitchen where they could hear sounds of conversation and whiskey glasses clinking, and instead climbed the stairs to Waverly’s bedroom. Nicole shut the door to the bedroom quietly while Waverly walked to the dresser. She pulled out a set of pajamas for herself and handed another pair to Nicole, who smiled gratefully. Waverly still held a distant look in her eyes that, quite honestly, frightened Nicole, but she didn’t push. They changed without exchanging conversation; Nicole took a bit longer to get out of her uniform and into the pajamas and, when she looked up, she found Waverly seated at the foot of the bed, staring at her hands as if her mind was a million miles away. 

“Hey…” Nicole said softly, frowning when it didn’t catch the young woman’s attention. She crossed the room slowly, crouching in front of her girlfriend and gently laying her hands on Waverly’s knees. “Talk to me. What happened, sweetheart?” After a beat, Waverly’s eyes met Nicole’s; Nicole had never seen those brown eyes filled with such sadness and insecurity (and she hoped to never ever see it again).

“Do you still love me?” Tears escape Waverly’s eyes as she whispered the question.

“Oh baby…” Nicole wanted nothing more than to wrap the small girl tightly in her arms and kiss her until long after her tears have ceased, but she refrained, knowing that Waverly needed verbal assurances now. “Of course. Of course, I still love you. You are my everything. When we fight it’s – my world feels so dull without you. I’m so sorry for the things I said, for the way I acted… I’m yours, Waverly Earp. You have my whole heart. There isn’t anything you could do or say that would change how much I love you.” Waverly pushed herself forward suddenly, launching herself into Nicole’s arms and they both tumbled (ungracefully) to the floor. Nicole chuckled slightly and shifted them so that Waverly was comfortably settled on her lap, her face buried in the crook of Nicole’s neck. “I love you more than I love anything else in this world, Waves. I’d be lost without you.” Nicole whispered, gently stroking Waverly’s back.

“You mean it?” Waverly pulled back, searching Nicole’s face for any signs of deceit or insincerity and finding none. Nicole simply nodded, pressing a gentle kiss to Waverly’s forehead. She waited patiently as Waverly searched for words. “She – Jolene – she didn’t hurt me. I mean not physically – she couldn’t because she said we were tied together but… she said things. Horrible things. She wanted me to hurt myself and so she said – and I just – Everyone was so mad at me and I had messed up and hurt you again and…” Waverly paused, sighing. “I didn’t. Hurt myself, I mean. I reminded myself of Wynonna and you and everyone, and even though we fought, I was so sure that you still loved me. I fought… I fought Jolene and I won.” Waverly smiled then, small but with the beginning of the confidence Nicole had fallen in love with. 

“I am so sorry that you had to go through that baby, and I am so glad that you’re sitting here with me now, safe. I wish I could have been there for you, to help you fight her.” Nicole admitted sadly.

“You’re here now.” Waverly responded, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to Nicole’s lips. “You’re here now and that’s all I need.”

Their peaceful moment was rudely interrupted with a loud crash emanating from the kitchen below them. Both Waverly and Nicole jumped at the unexpected noise, causing them to chuckle with amusement. “What do you think: unexpected revenant attack or the beginning of another utterly ridiculous family dispute?” Waverly asked lightly.

“Hmm…” Nicole pretended to give this question deep thought. “I’m going to go with some hot and heavy over the shirt stuff between Doc and Wynonna.” 

Waverly shrieked in response, playfully slapping Nicole on the shoulder. “That’s my sister! Gross… And my mother is down there!!” Nicole shrugged and lightly ran her fingers over a ticklish spot that she had identified a few days prior, smiling victoriously when Waverly giggled loudly. “Wait.” Waverly took Nicole’s hands to cease the tickling and looked at her more seriously. “You know what happened to me while we were apart, but I still don’t know what happened with you. You said Jolene attacked you?” 

Nicole sighed, not wanting to ruin the lighthearted moment. “It doesn’t matter anymore. That’s all behind us now.” Waverly’s look turned stern as her right eyebrow rose in preparation to challenge her. “Okay, fine.” Nicole said immediately, putting her hands up in a defensive motion. She then proceeded to tell Waverly everything, starting from the moment she pulled Jolene over and ending with being trapped in the closet. Nicole purposefully kept her tone neutral and matter of fact; the last thing she wanted was to upset Waverly or cause her to feel guilty about anything Jolene had said or done. Waverly stayed quiet for the most part, absorbing the information and making only infrequent comments (such as growling angrily when Nicole mentioned that Jolene had tried to seduce her). 

** “Wait, let me get this right. So, even though you were in the thrall of a powerful super-evil demon, and her unearthly baked goods, you said...”

“I said…” Nicole squeezed Waverly’s shoulders affectionately, smiling when she was successful in eliciting a contented smile on the brunette’s beautiful face. “…that you are the only luscious, funny –” She spoke slowly, emphasizing each word by peppering Waverly’s body with small kisses. 

“That’s good.”

“Yeah. Hot-as-hell baby that I need.” Nicole felt as if she won the lottery when Waverly turned to her with an expression filled with love and joy. “Then, she got super pissed and threw me into the dresser and… that’s when the ring fell.” Nicole regretted those last words the second they left her mouth. She could feel her own playful mood sour at the mention of the ring and the atmosphere around them turned more serious.

“Then it burned her?” Waverly asked, even though she already knew the answer. Though Nicole had seemed calm recanting her story, Waverly suspected that this experience had bothered her more than she was expressing. 

“Yeah.” Nicole responded with a sigh, looking over Waverly’s shoulder. “And then she got even more pissed and tossed me into the closet…. Ironically.” 

“Ugh.” Though Waverly typically allowed Nicole to brush over serious matters with a joke or two (it’s been on her mind to mention to Nicole as soon as they stop almost dying every other day), she’s unable to stop the reflexive groan at the thought of Nicole being hurt as a casualty to this demon’s hate for Waverly. 

“Hey, hey. She’s gone now.” Nicole reassured while rubbing Waverly’s back comfortingly. “That’s what’s important right?”

“Right.” Waverly nodded and she wanted to leave it at that, she really did, but her mouth spoke before her brain could catch up. “But the ring coming back to you, that’s…”

“Yeah, kind of a creepy boomerang vibe.” Nicole joked with a nod. She hoped Waverly would drop it for now, but one look at her pensive face told her that they’re not done discussing it.

“But it kept you safe from her.” Nicole didn’t respond, knowing that Waverly was speaking more to herself in an attempt to understand the mystery of Bulshar’s ring. “I’m sorry. Sometimes things are… are so completely nuts, and you… you… well, you seem okay and sane and safe. So, I forget to give you the completely-nuts update.” Nicole’s expression changed for a split second, a flash of something that’s gone so quick Waverly wondered if she had imagined it. 

“Yeah, you know what? How about you just, uh, update me later. ‘Kay?” Nicole leaned forward seductively, capturing Waverly’s lips in a passionate kiss. **

Waverly’s mind went blank in the most glorious of ways, and she almost let herself get pulled in except – no, she’s noticed a pattern and she’s not going to let Nicole avoid yet another conversation about her feelings. With a sigh, Waverly pulled back from the kiss, placing her hands on each of Nicole’s shoulders to physically keep herself from kissing her again. “Why do you do that?”

Nicole gave her a confused look. “Kiss you? I think the better question is: why did you stop?” She joked, flashing Waverly the most adorable smile and leaning in yet again.  
“No.” Waverly ducked the kiss but softened her tone when she saw a hurt expression cross Nicole’s face. “Why do you change the topic or crack a joke or be all…” Waverly waved her hands around in a wide gesture. “…sexy… to avoid talking to me about what’s really bothering you?” 

“Well, I can’t help it if you find my sexiness distracting, can I?” Nicole said with a chuckle, which only earned her a glare from Waverly that very clearly read ‘this is precisely what I’m talking about’. Nicole sighed in frustration, pulling her hands away from Waverly’s body and running them anxiously through her hair. “Look, I’m not avoiding. I just don’t see the point in talking about this because none of it was real. Jolene was just manipulating our emotions and turning nothing into something. That’s all.”

“But that’s just it, isn’t it? Jolene was manipulating our emotions, yes, but those feelings didn’t just materialize out of nowhere. The things she said to me, they were taken to the extreme, but the seed of it was real. I did have those insecurities and she just found a way to magnify them.” Nicole looked away, so Waverly took her hands delicately. “I just… you’ve gone through so much lately with Bulshar and learning about the massacre, and I hate to think that you feel like you can’t talk to me about what you’re feeling. You’re always there for me when I’m an emotional wreck, so amazing and so supportive, and I just want you to know that I’m here for you too.” 

Nicole looked back at her, but there’s something different in her eyes now, an emotion that Waverly couldn’t quite place. “This isn’t about Bulshar.” Nicole said tiredly. 

“Okay, then what is it about?” Waverly asked gently, bringing Nicole’s hands up to her lips to kiss them affectionately. Nicole closed her eyes with a sigh and Waverly could see her fighting an internal battle.

“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way.” Nicole began, eyes still closed. Waverly merely squeezed her hands, encouraging her to continue. “I know you don’t mean to, but sometimes… sometimes you and Wynonna and the group, you make me feel like I’m just this cop who doesn’t really have much to bring to the team besides a badge, an extra gun, and access to police files. Like I’m just a body to you.” 

Waverly immediately opened her mouth, ready to disagree, but Nicole put her hands out to stop her. “No, you wanted me to talk so just let me… finish. When something happens, you know, a demon shows up or a long-lost family member or some big secret is revealed, I’m never the first call. Wynonna has Doc and you have Wynonna, and Jeremy, well I’m not even sure if he has my number which – honestly, he probably should, I’m gonna make sure he gets that – but me… no one ever thinks to call me first, or second or, hell, at all. And yeah, that hurts Waverly because I…” Nicole paused, her eyes filling with tears against her consent. “Well, you may have noticed that I don’t really have many friends here and my family…” Nicole sighed deeply, shaking her head. Waverly so desperately wanted to ask Nicole about her family, but this was the most open Nicole has ever been with her and she’s so worried that even one word might spook her back into silence. After a second, Nicole began again, her voice thick with emotion. “I have spent so much of my life trying to prove that I fit in and that I belong and after a while, it just got so exhausting. So I told myself that it didn’t matter, that I didn’t need to fit in, because I’m confident in who I am and I accept who I am. And that’s all that really matters, right? But then I met you… and the team, and I thought ‘This is it. This is where I belong.’ But here we are, and it doesn’t matter how hard I try to stay included or how amazing our relationship is, I’m always the odd one out, the person everyone ‘forgets’ to call and has to be brought up to speed later when everything is going to shit. And that sucks, Waves.” The tears were falling freely now. Nicole reached up to angrily swipe them away. For the first time since she started talking, she braved a look at Waverly and was surprised to see tears on the brunette’s face also. “Please don’t cry. I’m sorry. I know your relationship with Wynonna and your family is important, and I would never ask you to change that. I just wish you could understand… You, Wynonna, Doc – you’re the only family I have here, besides maybe Nedley. I would do anything for you guys, anything. I just… I want to feel like I’m a part of your family too.” Nicole winced at how desperate she sounded. She hated this, feeling vulnerable, and her first reflex was to think of a joke or quick exit to promptly get herself out of this situation. “Wow, could I get more desperate? ” She muttered quietly to herself. 

“You are.” Waverly said softly.

“What?” Nicole said in confusion and a little (lot) hurt. “You… think I’m desperate?”

“What? No. Oh god, no.” Waverly shook her head earnestly, putting her finger under Nicole’s chin so that their brown eyes could meet. “Sorry, I’m not very good at this, but I promise I’ll get better with practice.” Nicole’s eyes widened comically at the comment and Waverly shushed her before she could protest. “No, I do not think you’re desperate. But yes, I do think that you are a part of this team and a part of our family. You are. And you’re not just a badge, or some hot body to gawk at – although I will never get tired of doing that – you are an integral, vital member of this group. I am so sorry that we have made you feel like anything less than that. I think we just… we take you for granted, the fact that you always come through in the end and you never really need the whole story to somehow help us fight the bad guy, but I promise that it’s going to change okay?” Waverly reached up to caress Nicole’s cheek and wiped away the last of her tears. “Okay?” She prompted again, chuckling when she saw Nicole’s eyes roll dramatically.

“Yes, okay.” Nicole responded, a smile lighting up her face. She leaned down and captured Waverly’s lips in a passionate kiss to express her gratitude. She pulled away suddenly, though, a thought crossing her mind. “Don’t you dare tell Wynonna that I said I wanted to be a part of her family. She will never let that go.” Nicole sternly commanded Waverly, who only giggles in response.

“Wynonna loves you Nicole. I mean, if you could see the emotional wreck that she was when you were in the hospital after that bite…” Waverly sighed dramatically.

“Wait, what? Why haven’t I heard this before? Wynonna was an emotional wreck?! This is gold standard info, babe! I can hold this against her next time she calls me whipped.” Nicole’s smile was brilliant; Waverly couldn’t help but think that she could get used to seeing that smile every day of her life. “Actually, forget waiting, I’m just going to go tease her now.” Nicole exclaimed, excitedly grasping Waverly’s face for a quick peck and jumping to her feet. “Thanks, babe!” She yelled behind her as she exited the room. 

Waverly shook her head in exasperation. “Honestly, those two.”


End file.
